Ls1 Miata
#61
Launching!
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Damn. Tough crowd. I think the biggest mistake you made was having the courage to put too much detail on the web. That torque arm looks like you could kill buffalo with it.
The car should be a blast to drive. If your project goes like mine you will never be done working on it anyway. Since you did all the work yourself you will have the knowledge to redo anything that doesn't work out right anyway.
And I'm glad you got rid of the PVC pipe. PVC is brittle, the heat cycles would have shattered the pipe in short order.
The car should be a blast to drive. If your project goes like mine you will never be done working on it anyway. Since you did all the work yourself you will have the knowledge to redo anything that doesn't work out right anyway.
And I'm glad you got rid of the PVC pipe. PVC is brittle, the heat cycles would have shattered the pipe in short order.
I agree about talking with the supplier to find out what kind of steel it is. As others have said it should be strong enough. My only recommendation at this point would be to get ahold of some DOM chromoly tubing down the road to make a smaller and lighter version of the torque arm to save some weight.
#64
Launching!
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Thanks allot, it should be. I got the wheel hubs pressed in at my school shop class this week. Not only did I save eaisly upwards of $100 but I learned the process and now have expirence around a hydraulic press. I had to build a bracket to properly mount each knuckle in the 20 ton press, which turned out so well that my shop teacher decided to hang onto it for future use, and turned the whole process into his lesson. Luckily my shop teacher and myself were able to the hub swap while keeping the low miliage bearings intact which saved another $120 or so. Everything turned out real well. The rx7 halfshafts fit so snugly in the MiataRoadster hubs that we were only able to get them about 3/4ths of the way in. When I pickup the half-shaft nuts from a local mazda dealership hopefully on Tuesday, I'll tighten them onto the halfshafts and pull them the rest of the way in. Then, provided nothing goes wrong, I'll take her down the road![Burnout](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_burnout.gif)
Meanwhile, tomorrow, we'll start building the exhaust system. We have a dynomax 2 1/2" od mandrel bent u pipe, 12 feet of 2 1/2" straight pipe, and 2 pypes m80 mufflers. If there's space we'll put in an h pipe, but I don't think there'll be any.
![Burnout](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_burnout.gif)
Meanwhile, tomorrow, we'll start building the exhaust system. We have a dynomax 2 1/2" od mandrel bent u pipe, 12 feet of 2 1/2" straight pipe, and 2 pypes m80 mufflers. If there's space we'll put in an h pipe, but I don't think there'll be any.
#65
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a lot of people bashing you... maybe its not meant to come out soo harsh.
anyway... for an 18year old looks like youve accomplished alot! keep on going and prove some people wrong or learn the best way...... ON YOUR OWN, trial and error!
anyway... for an 18year old looks like youve accomplished alot! keep on going and prove some people wrong or learn the best way...... ON YOUR OWN, trial and error!
#68
Launching!
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Thanks bud
On Thursday night we bled the clutch and brakes, fired her up, and drove her out of the garage under her own power. It felt soooo good. All 7 gears work, as does the clutch, brakes, hubs, halfshafts, and everything else. I only got it up to about 7 mph in our driveway, but it felt like it wanted to leap off the pavement with its copious ammounts of power. My dad and my friend told me it shot out flames at 2000 rpm in reverse. We let it idle for about 20 minutes or so, it runs as consistently as time passes in the day with a solid 40 psi of oil pressure. We aren't gonna take it out until its registered and insured. As 96civic mentioned, now is not the time to rush things. Until then, we have a checklist of minor things to do to it.
-Finnish exhaust
-Make taillights illuminate when the head lights are on
-Install Edelbrock Fuel Pump Relay
-Make ammeter gauge function
-Inflate tires
-Replace clear coolant tube
-Fix the handbrake seize problem
-Insure the gas gauge functions properly
-Get the car on jacks and run it so we can listen for strange differential or other drivetrain noises
-Get proper turn signal bulbs
-Install coilovers
-Install the correct alignment lower control arm bolt, for the rear of the front passengers side. (Take from a 3rd Miata we have sitting out back)
-ReTorque all drivetrain bolts
-Finnish filling up the Differential with oil (almost filled)
-Wire tie the loose wires under the dash
Heres how she stands now
![](https://lh6.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVANteiM8I/AAAAAAAAAGo/gm75mhi7Im8/s912/DSCF0128.JPG)
![](https://lh5.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVANgBVcJI/AAAAAAAAAGs/DOYisKDhIKA/s912/DSCF0129.JPG)
![](https://lh3.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVANtWzoHI/AAAAAAAAAGw/95Y1ioPffj4/s912/DSCF0130.JPG)
![](https://lh4.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVANzG7ANI/AAAAAAAAAG0/SG_9aa6L-aI/s912/DSCF0131.JPG)
![](https://lh5.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAN9wc4aI/AAAAAAAAAG4/zB9VOKX-SjQ/s912/DSCF0132.JPG)
![](https://lh6.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAaCok91I/AAAAAAAAAHE/aSlxvJflqbo/s912/DSCF0133.JPG)
![](https://lh5.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAaYe27rI/AAAAAAAAAHI/pcluaxhxde4/s912/DSCF0134.JPG)
![](https://lh6.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAaSUfGFI/AAAAAAAAAHM/oaNl24B1Wz0/s912/DSCF0135.JPG)
Favorite Pic![Grin](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_grin.gif)
![](https://lh3.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAag8nOPI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/jRUKmAaAeRo/s912/DSCF0136.JPG)
![](https://lh5.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAa0vssHI/AAAAAAAAAHU/5AyKO_svwkY/s912/DSCF0137.JPG)
![](https://lh6.ggpht.com/_sk-JdIDVREM/SyVAfPdMCMI/AAAAAAAAAHY/V8iq3Bw-z8s/s912/DSCF0138.JPG)
Now I just need my coilovers 2 arrive 2 get that back down lower
On Thursday night we bled the clutch and brakes, fired her up, and drove her out of the garage under her own power. It felt soooo good. All 7 gears work, as does the clutch, brakes, hubs, halfshafts, and everything else. I only got it up to about 7 mph in our driveway, but it felt like it wanted to leap off the pavement with its copious ammounts of power. My dad and my friend told me it shot out flames at 2000 rpm in reverse. We let it idle for about 20 minutes or so, it runs as consistently as time passes in the day with a solid 40 psi of oil pressure. We aren't gonna take it out until its registered and insured. As 96civic mentioned, now is not the time to rush things. Until then, we have a checklist of minor things to do to it.
-Finnish exhaust
-Make taillights illuminate when the head lights are on
-Install Edelbrock Fuel Pump Relay
-Make ammeter gauge function
-Inflate tires
-Replace clear coolant tube
-Fix the handbrake seize problem
-Insure the gas gauge functions properly
-Get the car on jacks and run it so we can listen for strange differential or other drivetrain noises
-Get proper turn signal bulbs
-Install coilovers
-Install the correct alignment lower control arm bolt, for the rear of the front passengers side. (Take from a 3rd Miata we have sitting out back)
-ReTorque all drivetrain bolts
-Finnish filling up the Differential with oil (almost filled)
-Wire tie the loose wires under the dash
Heres how she stands now
Favorite Pic
![Grin](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_grin.gif)
Now I just need my coilovers 2 arrive 2 get that back down lower
#69
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Nice! I love these cars, I just got through watching "Gearz" on tv and they built a miata like that has a cobra tribute. Had a Italian body kit on it and a ford 302 engine.
Nice work, and I would call it a "sleeper" but that air cleaner gives it away
Nice work, and I would call it a "sleeper" but that air cleaner gives it away
![Grin](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_grin.gif)
#70
On The Tree
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Most definatly agreed...everything else on the car is "trick" why not put on a 4" cowl??? Also why did you carb instead of fuel injection??? One more...in your opinion do you think the 4 lug pattern will hold the torque under full acceleration???
#72
Launching!
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We finished the exhaust system over the weekend and it sounds really really good. I can hear how well the engine runs, there's nothing loose, no taps or anything, it just purrs like a kitten. It turned out to be mostly straight pipe aside from a couple of small bends and the 90 degree bends on each side from the headers to the underside pipe which we got by cutting a mandrel u bend in half. The rest of the bends we created using the straight pipe. We cut out the section on the inside of where it had to be bent while leaving about in inch uncut on the outside. Then we closed the gap to form the bend and welded the gap. We did it so that there aren't any kinks or crimps, the entire system is 2.5" on each side...aside from the Sanderson exhaust flanges which are 2.25". Then we hung it in 3 places on each side, and clamped it in the necessary spots. The two pipes exit about a foot apart, right under the license plate. My dad thinks it looks like a Corvette, I think it just looks real cool. Its still pretty loud with those pypes m80's and I can tell it will be really loud at wot, but its now mellow enough to drive by a cop at 2000 rpm without him or her giving a second thought. Thanks again for the input guys, Happy Holidays!!
Last edited by Ls1Mx-5; 12-24-2009 at 10:39 AM. Reason: Spelling
#75
Launching!
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Well the morning before Christmas my Tein coilovers arrived. My dad wanted my low miliage struts for his higher miliage Miata so we put my struts on his, his alignment bolts on mine (in better condition then mine), my alignment bolts on his, and my Teins on mine. After 3 different height adjustments I got it where I wanted it. Sits pretty low now, but not too ridiculous.
Both cars needed alignments bad. I thought about it, we had done EVERYTHING else ourselves, why not the alignment. The previous owner of my Miata had a four wheel alignment done about two weeks before I bought it, so aside from alittler extra camber from being dropped, the rear was right on target. A little extra camber will help it handle better anyway. The fronts however were all off. With my new alignment bolts I dialed in a little bit of camber on each side to match the rear. To adjust for toe in we measured from the same tread on the front and rear of each tire. We turned the tie rods in half turn increments on each side until we got it to 3/32" wider on the front then in the back (slight toe out). We also did this to my dad's Miata.
Then it was time
![Mr. Cool](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_cool.gif)
![EEK !!](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_eek2.gif)
The one problem with our wheel alignment was that the steering wheel was turned very slightly to the right when the car was going straight. After we brought it back I loosened the nut on the steering column to pull the hub and wheel off but it wouldn't budge. I built a hub puller that bolts to the hub with one bolt in the middle that screws down and pushes the hub off. I turned the hub and put the wheel back on. Now the wheel is straight when the car is going straight and all four wheels are aligned.
Unfortunately I won't be able to drive it again for a little while as there's a whole bunch of salt on the roads and its too cold to rain. Also my digital camera has been giving me problems lately, so on the next update I'll borrow my friends to get some updated pictures on here.
Thanks again for all the input guys
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#78
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looks awesome man, do it the way you want to do it, if it breaks, then you can try something different. either way, it is a lot better than most would have been able to do at the age of 18. Great job! need a video of it doin a nasty burnout.
#79
Launching!
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I know guys that would look cool, but right now I have another more pressing problem
Thanks I'll get some videos soon. Unfortunately, something did break. Yesterday we had a rain storm that washed all the salt crud away, so naturally we decided to take her out. Apparently, last time we were only giving it like 3/5 throttle, because this time I really nailed it and it pulled twice as hard as before and broke traction like a fwd turbo Honda on stealies in 3rd gear. We were over in a neighboring town when the oil pressure dropped to about 7 which got us a little nervous. However, it went back up when I gave it a little throttle so I didn't think too much of it. As I was entering an on ramp, I got on it again, but it didn't pull right so I knew something was up. We looked down to the oil pressure gauge for an answer to see an unsettling reading of zero
. I immediately pulled her over to the shoulder and cut it. We're triple A members, so within a half hour a flat bed came and hauled us all back to our house. It wasn't running for long at low oil pressure, and it ran for under three seconds at zero so I don't think I did much damage if any.
I'm almost positive I need a new oil pump. Should I buy a Melling standard volume? High Volume? Stock Ls6? What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the help.
![Bang Head](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_banghead.gif)
I'm almost positive I need a new oil pump. Should I buy a Melling standard volume? High Volume? Stock Ls6? What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the help.